Car-coupling.



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UITID STATES PATIENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1906.

Application filed February 28,1906. Serial No. 308,522.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH W. ROBERT- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hot Springs, in the county of Bath and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplers, of which Vthe following is a specication.

As is well known in the practical operation of car-couplers, the coupling knuckle or hook becomes worn after it has been in service for some time to such an extent that it becomes necessary to discard the same, and. it is usual to throw the entire knuckle away.

The disadvantage of the above and the pecuniary loss involved are obvious, and this invention eliminates the same, residing in the provision of a detachable wearing member for the working face of the knuckle, said member sustaining the wear` and admitting of continuous use of the knuckle.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a knuckle, showing the invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the wear-plate removed.` Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

In the practical embodiment of the invention it is contemplated that the knuckle 1 shall be of any suitable construction, such as is ordinarily employed for the draw-heads of the couplers now most commonly in use. The knuckle is provided with the usual tail 2 and the vertical aperture 3 to receive the pivot by which the knuckle is pivotally mounted upon the draw-head. One side of the knuckle 1 is recessed, as shown at 4, the

vertical terminals of said recess being undercut in the body of the knuckle 1, as shown most clearly in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The wearing member, which constitutes this invention, consists of a plate having its vertical edges beveled, so to speak, so as to fit snugly in the vertical terminal portions of the recess 4. The formation of the vertical edges of the plate 5 is such that said plate has virtually a dovetail connection with respect to the knuckle and is displaceable only by vertical movement thereof.

It will of course be understood that the plate 5 is of a shape conforming with the shape of the inner side of the knuckle 1, and in order to prevent downward displacement of the plate after it has once been placed in position lugs 6 are formed with the knuckle 1 and project therefrom at the lower extremities of the vertical terminals of the recess 4. These lugs 6 abut with the lower edge portion of the plate 5 and support the same upon the knuckle 1 in an obvious manner. In addition to the lugs 6 it is contemplated that the plate 5 be formed with a lateral extension y 7 at its upper end, which extension is received in a recess 8, formed in the upper side of the knuckle 1 and intersecting the vertical open- 'ing 3 before mentioned. The extension 7 is slightly enlarged at its outermost end to iit in ythe slightly-enlarged portion of the recess 8, and said extension is provided with an aperture 9, registering with the aperture 3, which receives the pivot of the knuckle. The pivot of the knuckle thus cooperates with the plate 5 to prevent the same from upward movement when in operative position, and at the same time the extension 7 by reason of its connection with the upper portion of the knuckle holds the plate 5 snugly in its recess or seat 4 with regard to any lateral play which might' otherwise be incident to the connection of said plate'with the knuckle.

The plate 5 being made of hardened metal will of course receive all of the wear on the knuckle 1, and when said plate is worn out it may be detached readily and without trouble and a new plate placed in the seat 4, the eX- pense and time involved in replacing the entire knuckle 1 being wholly eliminated.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. In a car-coupling, the combination of a knuckle 'provided with a vertical aperture to receive a pivot therefor, a detachable wearplate applied to the working face of. said knuckle, and an extension projecting from said wearplate and having an aperture through which the pivot of the knuckle may ass. p 2. In a car-coupling, the combination of a pivoted knuckle provided with a dovetailed TOO seat in its Working face, en wear-plate ar- In testimony whereof I a my signature ranged n said seat, lugs prol|eotng from the in presence of two witnesses.

knuckle to prevent downward vertical displacement ofsad wear-plate, and an eXtenl JOSEPH W' ROBERTSON' [L' S] 5 sion rojecting Jfrom the Wear-plate and pro- Witnesses:

vide with an opening to receive the pvot of L. C. ALPHIN, the knuckle. J. F. MGALLISTER. 

